Barbara Taylor Bradford is a bestselling British American author best known for writing one of the top ten bestselling novels of all time. Her renown is such that she has managed to produce numerous bestsellers in Britain as well as America, placing her in a somewhat exclusive club.

Biography

Born May 1933, Barbara Taylor Bradford is the daughter of Freda and Winston Taylor. She has often spoken of the saturation of love she enjoyed from her mother, Freda having lost her son, Vivian, Barbara’s older brother, to meningitis.

Born in the Leeds, Yorkshire, England, Barbara attended the same nursery school as Alan Bennett, another well known writer from Yorkshire. One of her most cherished memories from this time was receiving a handwritten letter of thanks from Clement Churchhill (the wife of Winston Churchill) in response to the proceeds she had raised after holding a jumble sale at school and donated to the ‘Aid Russia’ fund, possibly in reaction to the role her father played in the First World War (during which the engineer lost a leg).

Despite her relatively unimportant position in society during her youth, there was evidence (discovered later by her biographer) to support the claim that Barbara Taylor Bradford’s mother was the illegitimate daughter of local Yorkshire aristocrat Frederick Robinson 2nd Marques of Ripon, Freda’s mother having worked as a servant in the household of the Marques.

Barbara has admitted to having initially reacted furiously at Piers Dudgeon’s (her biographer) discovery, though she came to accept the situation as it was.

Barbara Taylor Bradford met her husband, Robert Bradford (an American film producer) on a blind date and through the efforts of screenwriter Jack Davies. They were married in 1963 (Christmas Eve) and moved to the United States, with Barbara eventually acquiring citizenship in 1992.

The couple has no children.

When asked about her interest in writing, Barbara has often spoken of her passion as having emerged at the age of ten, when she sent a story she had written to a magazine and eventually received payment for it. Barbara didn’t pursue education beyond the age of 15, entering the typing pool and eventually becoming a reporter for the Yorkshire evening Post, working alongside the renowned Keith Waterhouse.

At age 20, she made her way to London, by then working as the Fashion Editor of Woman’s Own, a magazine; following a spell as a columnist for the London Evening news, Barbara remembers her initial efforts at writing fiction as being frustrating, specifically the four suspense novels she pursued and abandoned, this failure threatening her with images of the unfulfilled dreams she might later come to regret if she managed to spend her youth without writing a single novel.

Barbara has earned numerous awards during her lifetime, including doctorates from institutes like the Leeds University and Sienna College as well as the Order of the British Empire, awarded to her by Queen Elizabeth II, Barbara having been included on the Queen’s honors list of individuals that had contributed immensely to literature in 2007.

Often speaking of the admiration she held for Cornelius Ryan (an Irish Historian and author she has always considered to be her literary mentor), Barbara obsessed over Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy and the Bronte sisters during her younger days, with Ryan providing her the support and courage she needed to pursue writing.

She has also professed admiration for contemporary authors like Ruth Rendell, P.D James and Bernard Cornwell. Barbara Taylor Bradford’s immense wealth has been known to spark many a rumor, the most common being the two thousand pairs of shoes she is purported to own and the lake at her former house in Connecticut that she supposedly heated to benefit her swans.

Literary Career

Barbara’s first novel was ‘A Woman of Substance’. It is also her most financially successful novel, ranked among the ten bestselling novels of all time; Bradford’s works have sold nearly one hundred million copies worldwide, and are currently translated into more than forty languages.

Up to ten of her books have been adapted in mini-series and Television movies under the guidance of her Husband, producer Robert Bradford, these including ‘Hold the Dream’, ‘A Woman of Substance’ and ‘Act of Will’. Most of Barbara Taylor Bradford’s books seem to follow a similar pattern, starting with a woman of fairly humble origin who manages to rise in the business arena through hard work and sacrifice.

It has become her signature, writing fiction that emphasizes the strength of women and their role in society.

A Woman of Substance

The first in The Emma Harte Saga, following the fortunes of a retail empire and the business related machination unfolding behind the scenes across three generations, ‘A Woman of Substance’ introduces Fairley Hall in the village of Yorkshire, within which Emma Harte, a young but resourceful servant girl works. Determined to succeed, she hones her skills in a world filled with treachery as she learns to survive in the midst of hardships, becoming a woman that will make her mark on the world.

This most famous story that so many women have come to love tells of Emma Harte’s rise from poverty to wealth, becoming a giant among the wealthy on the world stage as she crafts an empire that will survive tragedy, failed marriages and war, even while combating the greed and envy of those around her.

Even while attracting criticism for being too verbose (especially regarding the numerous pages assigned to the description of mundane elements like Emma’s furniture) and the many questions it leaves unanswered, lovers of Barbara Taylor Bradford will find the novel spellbinding in its efforts to chronicle Emma Harte’s determination to succeed.

Hold the dream

The second book in the Emma Harte Saga continues its heroine’s struggles in the arena of business as she stands against internal and external elements determined to foil her dreams. Having built her empire through strength of mind and a willingness to sacrifice, Emma will have to make the difficult decision to relinquish control of her empire to her granddaughter.

However, for Paula McGill Fairley, this new found wealth and power isn’t without its difficulties; she will have to contend against greed and jealousy, scandalous lies and even treachery from those closest to her heart. She will be forced to defend against the threat to her legacy with everything in her arsenal, even while striving to not lose sight of those most important facets of life.

Even with the wordy nature of her writing and the unnecessary injection of effort into describing the mundane, Barbara’s second novel manages to successfully delight in telling this story of difficulty and triumph during the early years of a young woman.

Master of the standalone thriller genre, Shari Lapena, is back. Author of The Couple Next Door and A Stranger in the House, An Unwanted Guest is the latest novel by Shari. It takes place in a cozy mountain lodge in Winter where various people are staying for a romantic getaway. A blizzard cuts off the power and any contact with the outside world so everyone settles in for the long haul. Then a guest dies. And another. Knowing Shari's other books, this should be one we'll be reading late into the night. For more details or to pre-order, visit our Shari Lapena page.

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Our book series of the month is the Will Robie Series by David Baldacci. If you like Mitch Rapp, Jack Reacher, Jason Bourne etc then you'll love the Will Robie series. These are page turners to the max too and Baldacci knows how to keep you going all night long!

Featured Author

Bill Wenham is the author of various book series including The Inspector Charrington Mysteries and the Inspector Bruce Mysteries. He just started writing in his 80s to follow a life long dream. It’s an amazing story and the books he has written are pretty great too – his passion really shines through. Read more about Bills books.

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Clive Cussler started working as a copywriter for an advertising industry after his discharge from the military. Later he became the creative director of two successful advertising agencies. He was assigned to produce radio and television commercials and was also given a reward at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival for many of his commercials.